Automobile signal



W. E. ROOT.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.18, 1920.

Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

W. E. ROOT.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION HLED AOGJB, 1920.

1,405,870. Patented Feb. 7,1922.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

- WA.LTEB E. 30013 01 SEATTLE, wAsnmeToN.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

tended to be sopositioned as to warn driversof approaching vehicles when it is desired to stop or to slacken pace.

The object of my invention is to provide a signal of the kind described which will be connected to and controlled directly from the vehicle controls so that it will be automatically operated when the vehicle controls are operated.

Another object of my invention is to prop vide a simplified and convenient construction for such signals which will be mounted in a conspicuous position upon the automo bile and which will have its operating parts out of the way andyet accessible and which will be provided with means for adjustment to suit varying conditions under which it may operate.

My invention comprises those novel parts and combinations thereof which are shown in the accompanying drawings, described in the specification, and particularly defined by the claims terminating the same.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in a form which is now preferred by me.

Figure 1 is a rear view, with a portion broken away, and illustrating the appearance of my device in signaling position, as viewed from a vehicle approachingfrom the rear.

v Figure 2 is a vertical axial section through the indicating portion of my signal.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a portionof an automobile chassis and controls, illustratin my signal operating mechanism connected thereto. 7

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the members shown in Figure 3.

V Figure 5 is a detailsectionillustrating a convenient securing means which I employ.

A large portion of automobile accidents are rear-end collisions. These are caused, first, by the vehicle in front suddenly stopping, as in an emergency, without warning the following vehicle, or second, by mis- Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. '7, 1922.

Application filed August 18, 1920. 'Serial Iflo. 404,421.

taken judgment of the driver of the car as to the speed of the car in front of him or This whether it is moving or standing still.

may be caused by faulty vision, imperfect vislon through the wind-shield, by rain, or a number of other causes, but it is a recognized fact among motorists. My device is intended to obviate this danger by giving warning to drivers in the rear if a car is slacking speed or is stopped, all without thought or eflort on the part of the driver.

My signal comprises, in general, a disk which carries thereon certain signal indicia which is rotatably mounted behind a half disk, this half disk normally serving as a mask to .hide the signaling indicia, and the entire device being mounted upon the rear of the car where it will be seen by the vehicle approaching from'the rear. The device is which will bring the indicating indicia into signaling position when the vehicle controls are operated. Although I describe my device as being secured' upon the rear of the car, it is evident that itmay be secured as well upon the front of the car to give warning to vehicles approaching from this direction or to traffic ofiicers. The location of my device, therefore, is relatively unimportantf The indicating indicia, suchas the word Stop, is carried upon a portion of a disk 1 which is mounted upon a fore-and-aft pivot axis 10. Rearwardly of the disk 1 is a fixed half disk 11. This will form a mask fora portion of the disk 1 and normally the rovided with certain operating mechanism indicating indicia is hidden by the half disk 11. The indicating indicia may beformed of letters cut from the metal'forming'the disk and a suitable light 12, secured behind the disk '1," may be positioned to project a light through .the cut-away letters'at night,

when the device is in signaling position.

The portion of the disk 1 which carries the indicating indicia should be of a color contrasting with the half disk 11, to make it conspicuous during the day, while the other half of the disk 1 should be of a like color with the half disk 11. g

As ordinarily,- while the car is in'motion, the device is in non-signaling position, the light 12 may serve as the ordinary tail light of the vehicle and for this purpose an 0 ening 13 may be cut through the portion 0 the disk 1 normally in front of the light 12. As a matterof convenience, I may also cut away have shown consists of a smallbevellpinion 16 secured upon the shaft 10, to which the disk 1 is secured, and a larger bevel gear 17 meshing therewith; These gears may beenclosed in abozg 18 to protect them from dust and water, if desired. An operating. lever V 21 is secured tothe same shaft. as the gear 17 I levers3 and 3.

. areprovidedat eachside of'the vehicle, but

to turn. the gear.

Forwardly ofthe push bar 2 and pivoted upon the frame are two lovers 3 and 3. Links 30 :and30 connect levers 3 tothe push bar 2 through a suitable lostmotion connection. The lost motion connection which I haveemployed, and which is illustrated here in, comprises a pin 22 projectinglaterally at i a each side of thepush bar 2,.and elongated loops 31 and 31" formed in the ends-of the links 30 and 30, respectively,and securedover the pin 22;

Rods 32; and 32 are also securedto the These extend forwardly as far as may be necessary and each of them is secured to one of a pair of vehicle controls,

each control beingindependent of the other.

Generally these controls would be the'emergency brake and the foot brake rods, as one or both. of: these two controls is, invariably used in bringing a car to a stop, 1

We-may assume thatthe-rod 32 is .to be secured} tot-he emergency brake rod 4 and.

that-the rod'32. is to be secured tothe foot brake rod iL. Duplicate brakeirods lands I do-not consider it necessary to secure the rods 32am. 32 to the-brake rods upon both sides of the car, but have found that one conmotion to each brake mechanism'issufi'icient;

The mannerof connection; which; I haveemployed consists of a pair of collars 40,

whiohmay. be fixed'in-positionupon the rod 7 32.0 1'32' andwhichcompressbetween them a'spring 41. A split clamp-42-or-anyother suitable member, encloses the spring; 41 at about itscentralyportion, and encloses also the brake rod 4 and 1', as the case may be.

The clamp 42 is seeuredin place by a suitable bolt 43- andthusholds securely both the spring 41 andthe. brake rod. This manner of connection afiords a slight: amount of yielding; at the connection of the brake rod with the Qperatingmechanism, and there is no. -saddleIt. strain. put.- pon th per ing.

ing position.

This lever 21- is secured to oneend. of a push bar 2. which extends, forwardly and which, may. be guided, if this isfound desirable, in a suitable guide 20.

mechanism or the signal, by the quick appliance of the brake. At the same time, the" signal starts tomovewith the movement of the brake rod and quickly comes into signal- I may provide suitable means, such as the holes 387m the levers 3 or 3, for varying the throw of the operating mechanism in accordance with the throw of the brake rods. 7

Some brake rods may have a travel of several inches while other travel only .a

fraction of this distance.

7 It may be seen from an inspection oi Figures 3 and 4 that if the foot brake is-ap-. plied, the rod 1 will be thrown forward.

This motion will be communicated through the rod 32' and lever 8' to the link '30.; This link. willproject thejpush bar 2 rearwardly while the link 30 will, remain stationary, the. pin 22 moving rearwardly throughout. the

length of. the slot31. Therearwardlprojeos tion of the bar 2 willjrotate the disk linto signaling position, as has been described.v If the emergency brake is. applied the motion will be transmitted from the brake rode to the signal disk, 1 in. the manner d'escribedlforv the footbrake, the operating mechanism of the latter remaining stationary. It is. evident V also, thatboth brakesmaybe appliedat once and both will operate together to cause a movement of the signal disk 1; A spring 23' may be secured to the bar 2 and to the chassis- 5 to return the signal to its normal position when the brakes are released. Aslong as either brake remains set, however,.the signal.

remains ..in, signaling position. This protects the car while it is standingv still.

I provide a. stopto-v position the signaling" indicia upon thedisk liin signalingandiin, non-signaling position, This. may consist of, a'portion 19. cut from the periphery of the. disk 1, and astop29 fixed upon the hall."

disk. 11 and contacting. with theends of. the

cut-away portion 19.. I prefer tosurround. this stop pin 29 with a layer of rubber or.

other yielding materialto take up-theshock of a sudden stop in the rotation of the disk:

1 and to prevent. rattling thereof. What I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination with a chassis and a. plurality of vehicle controls. mounted thereon, a movable signalv mountedxuponl said chassis, and means connecting said. signaljwith eac h of the vehicle controls. toactuate the signal, eachof saidmeansLinchd ing both a member yieldable' when its own control is operated, andv another member yieldable when another controlis operated. 2.. In. combination witha chassis, and. two

sets: of, vehicle controls, a-movable signal.

mountedupon saidchassis, a link secured to said signal, andreciprocable to-actuate thesame, a pair of push bars alongsidesaid link, said. push bars. beingv independently con-3 nectedto saidlink and each. havingprm vision for lost motion in its connection, and yieldable means connecting said push bars each with a different set of vehicle controls.

3. In combination with a chassis and two sets of vehicle controls, a movable signal mounted upon said chassis, an operating lever secured to move said signal, a link secured to said operating lever, a pair of push bars alongslde said link, said push bars being independently connected through a lost motion connection to said link, a pair of levers pivoted upon the chassis and each connected to its respective push bar, and a pair of rods each connected at one end to an independent vehicle control, and at its other end to one of said pair of levers.

l. In combination with a chassis and two sets of vehicle controls, a movable signal mounted upon said chassis, an operating lever secured to move said signal, a link secured to said operating lever, a pair of push bars alongside said link, said push bars being independently connected through a lost motion connection to said link, a pair or levers pivoted upon the chassis and each connected to its respective push bar, a pair of rods each connected at one end to an independent vehicle control, and at its other end to one of said pair of levers, said pair of levers each having means for varying the throw communicated to said operating lever.

5. In combination with a chassis, a foot brake, and an emergency brake, a signal mounted upon the chassis, a llnk connected to said signal and reciprocable to actuate the same, a pair of push bars having elongated loops at one end, and lying alongside said link, a pin secured in the link and passing through said loops in the push bars, separate means connecting said brakes each with its respective push bar to actuate either or both thereof, and a spring for returning said link and signal to their normal or nonsignaling positions.

6. In combination with a chassis and two independent brake rods, a movable signal mounted upon said chassis, an operating lever adapted to move said signal into signalling position, a link secured to saidoperating lever by one end, a tension return spring connected to said link at the other endand to the chassis, a pair of push bars having elongated loops at one end and lying alongside the free end of said link, a pin secured in said link and passing through said loops in the push bars, a pair of levels pivoted between their ends upon the chassis and each connected by an end to its respective push bar, a pair of rods each connected by an end to the free end of its respective lever, a pair of collars fixed upon each rod and a spring interposed therebetween, and a clamp secured upon each of said springs and upon each brake rod, each rod being connected to an independently operable brake rod.

Signed at Seattle, King County, WVashington, this 11th day of August, 1920.

WVALTER E. ROOT. 

